Carlsberg to Become First Brewery to Fully Replace Plastic RIngs

Carlsberg, an international Danish brewing company, has recently unveiled their Snap Pack, a new replacement for the infamous plastic rings used to bind bottles and cans, taking a remarkable leap forward for sustainability and greatly reducing plastic waste.

The plastic straw debacle has sparked a renewed interest in the plastic epidemic we currently face today. Every day, plastic waste poisons our waters and threatens our wildlife, a particularly egregious example being the plastic six-pack rings. For decades, these plastic rings have been almost iconic for their role in endangering the environment. From TV ads to biology textbooks, they are seen as the symbol of the dangers of pollution, and yet they have still been used in mass production for years for one sole factor; their cost.

However, that could all change in as little as a few years. Carlsberg’s Snap Pack is as ingenious as it is simple, bottles are bundled together using a specialized glue that is both durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of the supermarket and yet brittle enough to be twisted off with ease. According to Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, Carlsberg’s Head of sustainability, their Snap Pack will reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging by 75%, and Carlsberg’s total plastic usage by 1,200 tons a year, all for relatively the same cost.

But the Snap Pack isn’t just a one-man-show. Myriam Shingleton, Carlsberg’s vice president of product development, is looking to make this eco-friendly packaging the norm. “As always in Carlsberg, we will not keep this for ourselves,” she claimed, “I’m sure other players will follow when they see that—and that’s a very exciting journey if more and more players are coming. ”

Carlsberg advocates for more to take action and help create a sustainable future through their campaign, Together Towards ZERO. Launching in 2017, they aim to work towards a better tomorrow with four major goals in mind: zero carbon emissions, zero water waste, zero cases of irresponsible drinking, and creating a “zero accidents” culture in the workplace.

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